You are the Person of the Year

“…The "Great Man" theory of history is usually attributed to the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who wrote that "the history of the world is but the biography of great men." He believed that it is the few, the powerful and the famous who shape our collective destiny as a species. That theory took a serious beating this year…” this is how opening paragraph of TIME magazine introduces it’s cover story – Person of the year – YOU in the Christmas edition.
Every year a Person of the Year was chosen. This time the tradition was changed – no need for a great person when each individual determines his story and history. The editor suggests that it's about “the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.”
How was your year? Have you been the man/woman/boy/girl of the year? Has this year been your year? Are YOU the person of the year? Really?!
TIME editors consider those who influence others to be the makers of history. Nowadays bloggers are the buzz people. My computer thinks that “blogger” is a misspelling, ‘cause it’s a new word that came into existence only in May 1999 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog). In their sample of 15 people there are those who use their vice as virtue, morality is outdated.
You may look over all those pictures from trips you’ve been on. You may go over your account books to see how much money you’ve made. You may simply look at your grade reports from school. You may look at the “to do” list to see how many lines are not crossed out yet. What does really determine how successful was your year?
Speaking recently on the Millennial expectations I quoted apostle Peter’s catchphrase “with God one day is as good as a 1000 years and a 1000 years is only a day.” (2^nd Peter 3:8) What truly makes our days and years matter is being with God, living in God’s presence. For a time without God is counted as wasted in the books that do matter when the Judgment Throne appears.
When Jesus becomes your Person of the Year then you are also Person of the Year in His Book of Life. That’s Jesus’ direct promise: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32) Welcome to Jesus’ world of definitions where the winner is the one whose name is confessed before the Father and is written in the Book of Life. (Revelation 3:5)
Welcome to the actual reality – you are the Person of the Year only in Christ Jesus!

Peace Christmas

You are probably expecting some kind of Christmassy message today. After all most churches around the world will do a special “Christmas focus” as the CEO (that’s “Christmas & Easter Only”) visitors will make their way in. You’ve heard enough debates about “should we” since it’s a pagan holiday, etc. We’re used to traditional Christmas stories: baby in a manger, shepherds with their flocks, wise men with gifts, and much more gets lumped up into a garbled message of tranquility and serenity.
Today I want to redirect your attention to one Christmas story that is rarely preached on – the one from Revelation 12 – a woman giving birth right in front of a dragon crouched and poised to eat up the baby. The woman gives birth to a baby boy who will shepherd all nations and he was seized and placed safely before God on His Throne. Have you heard about this Christmas-in-the-middle-of-the-war-story? This Christmas only makes sense in the war context, the Great War of good and evil, which is far from over as the dragon is still making war with the rest of woman’s children.
Whenever I think about the original Christmas I am appalled that those who said they were expecting it - missed it. And those who were ignored as unworthy came to recognize the newborn King. It was actually predicted long ago. Isaiah writes: “gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising…caravans of camels shall cover the land and the dromedaries of Midian, Ephah and Sheba will come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you.” (Isaiah 60:1-7) Prophet Isaiah was talking here about Abraham’s sons from Keturah and Hagar, the Arabs from the East coming to Jesus, not because they wanted to start a trendy Christmas shopping spree, but to fulfill the prophecy.
Today those who call themselves Christians, especially Adventist – those expecting Advent again – do we really expect and wait? Jesus commented “when the Son of man returns, will He find any faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) Christmas here is simply a reminder of the Second Advent, the return of the Savior. A prompt cue that just as the first set of prophecies was fulfilled, so will the last set be completed.
So greet each other this merry season with simple words: Maranatha – Come Soon, O Lord! And believe it!

Keeping the New Covenant

Last week I talked to you about the New Covenant - the Covenant that is perfect and perpetual because it is between the Father and the Son. But before the blood of this New Covenant was shed there was birth – a baby birth, and then baby walk, and talk and obedience.
As we are approaching the festive season let me share a few things about the Covenant of Christmas. We know that we are not better than ancient Israelites at keeping promises. Father God sent His Son to become one of us, that in His Person our whole human race would enter into a covenant with God. In that lowly birth God was making an alliance with people. He was giving His Son as a pledge of eternal pact.
Before the blood was shed there was life of obedience. In the days of His flesh through suffering He learned obedience. (Hebrews 5:8) He lived in harmony with His heavenly Father.
Bible students know that the Law of God and the Character of God share the same characteristics; they are the same in nature: holy, perfect, good, true. Prophets of old were given the Word of Promise that one day God’s law would be placed on their minds and written in their hearts, in our human hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33) At Jesus’ birth God’s Character was in him. Just as God promised - so it was done: God’s Character was in Christ Jesus, and available for all humankind.
Paul is writing to Colossians: “in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, in Him Divinity lives in all its fullness.” And Paul does not stop there. He continues: “and you have been given same fullness in Christ!” (Colossians 2:9-10) Just think of what Paul is saying: through Christmas God’s Covenant comes into our lives! Through Jesus God’s Character can be written in our hearts and minds! Through Jesus God can live fully and completely in our lives!
Cherish this Christmas Covenant given to all who believe. Let God’s Character shine through your lives. Let His Law be the focus on your meditation 24x7. Let Jesus life of obedience - even in suffering - be also your life.

Celebrating the New Covenant

There is much talk nowadays about Covenants. Americans consider themselves the Covenant Nation. Evangelicals talk about belonging to the New Covenant. To some the Old and New Testament (covenant) are just books of the Bible. At the closer examination not many really understand this New Covenant thing.
Many know that there was an Old Covenant, rather CovenantS – as in plural and they all failed. Not because of God but because of human element in it. Abraham made a Covenant with God (Genesis 15), then broke it for the lack of faith, and had God almost end the deal by taking Isaac (Genesis 22). Israelites understood well that their covenant was new and different from the one that was made with their fathers before (Deuteronomy 5:2-3). Yet, they failed to keep their end of the agreement, and got dismissed.
Paul says that the first covenant had been faulty and that is why there is a need for the second covenant to replace first (Hebrews 8:7). The fault of the First Covenant was human factor. Do you really think that you and I can keep promises better that Israel of old? Do you really think that you are more obedient than saints of from the past?
The strength of the Second is the Testator of it! No more faulty human factor! It is the Covenant between God and Jesus Christ – the Faithful and True, the One who does not fail to complete what He had began. The New Covenant is between the Father God and Son Jesus!
Some of you were perplexed about ancient tradition of swearing an oath by putting a hand under a man’s thigh, a bit too much for cultured imagination of Western mind (Genesis 24:2,9; & 47:29). Yet, it is precisely to this tradition John the Revelator alludes as he sees Jesus at the end riding victoriously having the Name written on His Thigh as a sign of Covenant being fulfilled. (Revelation 19:16)
Two Millennia ago Jesus told his friends in the Upper “this is My blood of the new covenant” (Matthew 26:28) The Blood of the eternal, everlasting, permanent covenant (Hebrews 13:20) that brought Jesus back from the dead and guarantees our resurrection.
The first covenant was written on stone, just as well – since our human hearts are no different than a stone. But the New Covenant is to be written on hearts. Best Christmas gift you could wish for is to let Jesus in your heart so he may seal His Covenant by making you complete in good work to do His Will. Best Christmas gift – walking in faith and relying that Jesus will make things right.

Blessed Advent Hope

This time of the year mainstream churches enter a liturgical schedule called the Advent. For four weeks Christians focus their lives around one thing – commemorating and celebrating the first coming of Jesus, arrival of the Messiah – the Advent.
Church sanctuaries are decorated in purple – color of penitence and fasting, as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Scripture readings will reflect the emphasis on the Second Advent, themes of accountability for faithfulness, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.
This season has a double focus – on past and future. This is the season that symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a church congregation, as we affirm that Christ has come, that He is changing our lives and the world today, and that He will come again in power. Living in "between the times" we are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. First of all we are stewards of relationships, as Jesus commanded us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart" and to "love our neighbor as yourself."
We, the Adventist believers, have this event even in our name. For us it represents our hope in the Second Advent. And we celebrate it not only on weekends, not only in public places, but in privacy of our homes, in intimacy of our personal devotional time. That is why this first week of December we are going to take our time out and stop for prayer, coming together, reflecting on the Blessed Hope and the journey we are on.
This weekend most preachers in Sunday-keeping churches will speak about hope. We are Adventists. We believe in “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), the hope of the soon return of Jesus.
We are Adventists. Our hearts beat with eager anticipation. Soon worry, want, and war will be over. Soon suffering, sorrow, and sickness will be no more. Soon disease, disaster, and death will be vanquished. Soon pollution, pestilence, and pain will be defeated. Soon He will come.
We are Seventh-day Adventists, worshipping the Creator God, restoring the worship as God intended – by building relationships with him and each other, especially on the Day of Rest in the world that knows no rest, rushing wickedly day and night. Take time and review your relationships. Forgive, and seek forgiveness. That we would be able to say together: “Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.”